Environments to support collaborative software engineering

With increasing globalisation of software production, widespread use of software components, and the need to maintain software systems over long periods of time, there has been a recognition that better support for collaborative working is needed by software engineers. In this paper, two approaches to developing improved system support for collaborative software engineering are described: GENESIS and OPHELIA. As both projects are moving towards industrial trials and eventual publicreleases of their systems, this exercise of comparing and contrasting our approaches has provided the basis for future collaboration between our projects particularly in carrying out comparative studies of our approaches in practical use

Manufacturing Process Modeling and Simulation

This paper presents a methodology to be employed in the whole process design phase including first and second processing. This methodology consists of a set of steps which are characterised by an independent model. This paper’s objective is to analyse the coherence between the different models and the coherence between the model and the objectives of each step. The final stage is to develop the production plans. The casting process was the first one to be analyzed. Casting models were created using CAD software (Catia V5R17) and imported into the casting simulation environment (Magmasoft). Filling and solidifying processes have been simulated using different casting models in order to optimize the final configuration. The machining process was modeled using the machining features concept and it was simulated using Catia’s Advanced Machining environment. Two machining strategies have been analyzed according to positioning strategies. Process engineering software was used to create the process plans and to analyze the resource allocation

Context modeling and constraints binding in web service business processes

Context awareness is a principle used in pervasive services applications to enhance their exibility and adaptability to changing conditions and dynamic environments. Ontologies provide a suitable framework for context modeling and reasoning. We develop a context model for executable business processes { captured as an ontology for the web services domain. A web service description is attached to a service context profile, which is bound to the context ontology. Context instances can be generated dynamically at services runtime and are bound to context constraint services. Constraint services facilitate both setting up constraint properties and constraint checkers, which determine the dynamic validity of context instances. Data collectors focus on capturing context instances. Runtime integration of both constraint services and data collectors permit the business process to achieve dynamic business goals

Discrete event simulation and virtual reality use in industry: new opportunities and future trends

This paper reviews the area of combined discrete event simulation (DES) and virtual reality (VR) use within industry. While establishing a state of the art for progress in this area, this paper makes the case for VR DES as the vehicle of choice for complex data analysis through interactive simulation models, highlighting both its advantages and current limitations. This paper reviews active research topics such as VR and DES real-time integration, communication protocols, system design considerations, model validation, and applications of VR and DES. While summarizing future research directions for this technology combination, the case is made for smart factory adoption of VR DES as a new platform for scenario testing and decision making. It is put that in order for VR DES to fully meet the visualization requirements of both Industry 4.0 and Industrial Internet visions of digital manufacturing, further research is required in the areas of lower latency image processing, DES delivery as a service, gesture recognition for VR DES interaction, and linkage of DES to real-time data streams and Big Data sets

Modeling the object-oriented software process: OPEN and the unified process

A short introduction to software process modeling is presented, particularly object-oriented modeling. Two major industrial process models are discussed: the OPEN model and the Unified Process model. In more detail, the quality assurance in the Unified Process tool (formally called Objectory) is reviewed

Towards semantic software engineering environments

Software tools processing partially common set of data should share an understanding of what these data mean. Since ontologies have been used to express formally a shared understanding of information, we argue that they are a way towards Semantic SEEs. In this paper we discuss an ontology-based approach to tool integration and present ODE, an ontology-based SEE

A Simulation Model for Logical and Operative Clash Detection

The introduction of the Building Information Modeling (BIM) approach has facilitated the management process of documents produced by different kinds of professionals involved in the design and/or renovation of a building, through identification and subsequent management of geometrical interferences (Clash Detection). The methodology of this research proposes a tool to support Clash Detection, introducing the logical-operative dimension, that may occur with the presence of a construction site within a hospital structure, through the integration of a BIM model within a Game Engine environment, to preserve the continuity of daily hospital activities and trying to reduce negative impacts, times and costs due to construction activities